Raiding the TBR pile

by Anna Campbell

As many of you know, my third book TEMPT THE DEVIL was released about ten days ago and I'm on a major blog tour to talk about it (if you ever want to know where I'll be, please check out latest news on my website). So I thought today it might be nice to talk about some books that are NOT by Anna Campbell!

For months I've been promising myself a few days of sloth between Christmas and New Year. It's an Australian tradition. The Boxing Day Cricket Test Match is on (as I write this, things aren't going too well for the Aussies with the South Africans really tanning our hides. If we lose this match, it means we've lost the series and it's the first series the Aussies have lost on home ground in 15 years. Ouch!). People are busy playing with Christmas presents and eating Christmas leftovers and it's hot and perfect pool or beach weather. Well, as long as you have your sunscreen with you!

It's also a perfect time of year for reading!

I've been attacking the huge To Be Read Pile. And while I'm far from conquering it, I have made some inroads. Books I've enjoyed in the last few weeks include PLAYING FOR THE ASHES by Elizabeth George (an Inspector Lynley book), THE LACE READER by Brunonia Barry, THE KISS by Sophia Nash, THE FLAME AND THE SHADOW by Denise Rossetti and QUEEN OF DRAGONS by Shana Abe.

I've picked out five books to talk about in a bit more detail. All were an absolute pleasure to read. So if you're looking for some recommendations to fill a few hours' reading time, look no further!

The book whose cover features at the head of this blog, NEVER ROMANCE A RAKE by Liz Carlyle, is a fantastic, intense historical romance with a ton of emotional punch. It's also got Liz's trademark wit and passion - seriously the love scenes in this are HAWT! One of the most compelling heroes I've read for a long time too. I picked this up yesterday and didn't put it down until I finished it. Highly recommended!


Amy Andrews who's a Bandita regular (when she's not breaking her arm to avoid us!) writes really emotional, heartfelt Medical romance for Harlequin. I've had her THE ITALIAN COUNT'S BABY on my TBR pile for a long time. Sorry, Amy! It's been one of those years and I knew once I started this book, I wouldn't want to stop. What an absolutely lovely story about an unlikely love between two damaged people. And as a bonus, there's a stack of wonderful, drool-making descriptions of scenery on the Amalfi Coast, courtesy of Amy's recent visit. The great news for American readers is that this book was chosen as a special Presents Extra release in the United States and you can order it from Amazon (just click on the cover). Generally, Harlequin Medicals aren't available in the U.S. but this one is! Huzzah!


A book that's been in the TBR pile since I went to the RWA conference in San Francisco in July is Rachel Gibson's TRUE CONFESSIONS. This won the RITA for best contemporary romance back in 2001 and it's now been reissued in the Avon A line. What a charming, funny, gorgeous romance! It's a fish out of water story (love that theme!) where a big city girl who writes tabloid stories about aliens kidnapping tourists and Elvis living in the Bermuda Triangle heads off to the wilds of Idaho for six months when her life in L.A. heads for the rocks. The hero, sexy local sheriff Dylan, is absolutely to die for and the story will have you laughing out loud as our heroine Hope runs into stranger creatures in the small town than she ever created out of her fevered imagination.

The next book is a delicious treat by Kelly Hunter who I recently hosted as my guest here on the Bandits. You all loved her and absolutely reveled in her dry as dust sense of humor. Her PLAYBOY BOSS, LIVE-IN MISTRESS is on the surface as light and luscious as chocolate mousse. There's her trademark snappy dialogue and quirky characters. But underneath that sparkling veneer, this story packs a lot of emotional punch. It's about taking a chance on love and letting go of old tragedy. I'm sure this book will come out in America before too long but as yet, there's no confirmed date. However, the Book Depository in the UK will post books anywhere in the world without charging postage. It's a great deal and even with the exchange rate, it makes it worthwhile checking for things that aren't readily available in the North American market. You can order Kelly's book here: http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/WEBSITE/WWW/WEBPAGES/showbook.php?id=0263863913


As a lot of you know, I'm a huge fan of Madeline Hunter. I've loved her work ever since Isolde Martyn from my Sydney crit group brought home an ARC of Madeline's debut BY ARRANGEMENT from the Washington conference back in 2000. I think Madeline's such a smart, elegant writer and I love the way she creates unusual, compelling characters. Her first books are medievals but over recent years she's moved to the Regency. SECRETS OF SURRENDER is the third in her series based around the aristocratic Rothwell Brothers and their associates. The second book LESSONS OF DESIRE was a very deserving RITA winner this year in the Long Historical category. SECRETS OF SURRENDER has all the hallmarks of Madeline's style - smart, offbeat characters (I particularly enjoyed the self-made hero), a plot grounded in real life elements of the Regency, an intelligent, rebellious, headstrong heroine, sizzling sexual tension. Can't wait now for the last in the series, THE SINS OF LORD EASTERBROOK which is out in February!

So let's talk books! What have you read over the Holidays? Have you discovered any great authors in 2008? What were your favorite books of the year?Source URL: http://idontwanttobeanythingotherthanme.blogspot.com/search/label/Kelly%20Hunter
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Kelly's Heroes!

Sorry I'm late with this. Mea culpa! I had visitors on the weekend and haven't got back to the Internet until now. Anyway, I have mega booty to announce.

First, the winners of Kelly Hunter's books (and I say winners advisedly) are:

Gillian!

Joan T the Bandita!

Lovely Kelly was so impressed with the Banditas and Buddies, she threw in an extra book! Isn't that wonderful?

Thank you to everyone who made it such an exciting day in the lair. Isn't Kelly a hoot? Seriously if you want a treat, grab her books! I know I'm plugging them hard but they're SOOOOO good, it's like sharing a box of chocolates with your friends. And we all know how good that is.

Joan and Gillian, please email Kelly on kelly@kellyhunter.net with your snail mail details and she'll get your book out to you!

And the winner of the first day of the 12 Bandita Days of Christmas is:

Leslie!

Leslie, please email our prize coordinator, aka Santa's helper, Jeanne on jeanne@jeanneadams.com and she'll get your special Bandita prize out to you! Please tell her that you're the winner for day one of the 12 Bandita Days.

Congratulations to all our winners and don't forget to come back to play with us in the leadup to Christmas!Source URL: http://idontwanttobeanythingotherthanme.blogspot.com/search/label/Kelly%20Hunter
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All Hail el Presidente, Kelly Hunter!

by Anna Campbell

It is with huge pleasure that I introduce my dear friend and fellow Aussie, 2008 RITA Finalist Kelly Hunter.

Kelly is not only the author of sparkling, idiosyncratic, romantic books for Harlequin Presents Extra/Modern Heat/Sexy Sensation, she's also the President of Romance Writers of Australia. She's great fun to be around as you'll all discover when you read her answers to my interview questions.

If you'd like more information about Kelly and her books, check out her website.

Kelly, your current release is PLAYBOY BOSS, LIVE-IN MISTRESS which is out in the U.K. in December (you can order it here and not pay postage and packing). Can you tell us about this story?

Ah, yes. The pirate story. May as well be upfront with you from the start and confess a fascination with a certain Captain Jack Sparrow around the time I wrote this story. Boats appeared. Sydney Harbour. My hero became a corporate raider and developed something of a swagger. My heroine developed wiles worthy of Mae West. And yet buried beneath the romp is a wounded heroine, a patient hero, and a friends to lovers story that’s really kind of sweet.

They’re walking past an airport terminal soap shop:

‘What say we forgo your PA training for the next couple of hours and I meet you back on the plane?’

But the ancient Asian saleswoman had already made her move. ‘Come. Come,’ she said waving them into the shop proper. ‘It is good for the man to choose the soap for the woman. Choose now, benefit later, no?’

‘No,’ said Sienna, but the saleswoman ignored her.

‘This one,’ she said, and handed Lex a block of soap. Ylang ylang and lemongrass. Smell good, no?’

Lex sniffed. Considered. Decided. And all without giving Sienna a second glance. ‘No,’ he said as he handed the soap back to the woman. ‘She’s more of a rosehip kind of girl.’

‘I am not.’ said Sienna.

‘Rosehip and vanilla?’ said the saleswoman, picking up another block of soap and offering it to him. ‘This one you like?’

‘Hello,’ said Sienna. ‘Over here.’

‘Got anything with ginger in it?’ said Lex.

‘Sandalwood and ginger,’ said the woman and passed that one to him as well. ‘Also matching body lotion, hand cream, and shampoo.’

‘Sold,’ said Lex and produced a wallet from his trouser pocket. ‘Don’t bother wrapping it.’

‘How sweet,’ murmured Sienna. ‘You think we’re done here.’

‘We are done here. You wanted soap. You got soap, moisturiser, and shampoo. What more could you possibly need?’

This wasn’t about need. It was about shopping. Possibly about revenge. ‘There’s a men’s range.’

‘No,’ he said hastily.

‘Oh yes.’ Sienna studied him serenely.

The saleswoman studied him too. ‘So much hurry,’ she said. ‘Does he have airplane to catch?’

‘He just got off one.’ Lex opened his mouth to speak. ‘He’s about to tell you he already has soap,’ Sienna murmured. ‘Anyone would think he’s not a patient man.’

‘A man with no patience is like an ocean without fish,’ said the woman, and continued to study Lex. ‘Why even cast the net?’

‘I have fish,’ said Lex indignantly. ‘I have plenty of fish.’

Sounds like another winner coming up, Kelly. You are brilliant at dialogue, as I'm sure you've been told before! Your next release in America is May’s THE MAVERICK’S GREEK ISLAND MISTRESS, that U.K. and Australian readers already know as TAKEN BY THE BAD BOY. Can you give our U.S. Bandita Buddies a sneak peek at this story?

This is the third story in my Bennett Family series. This one features pilot Pete Bennett, little Greek islands, a goddess divine, a first kiss as it ought to be remembered, anticipation, frustration, seduction, expectations, and an unstoppable tumble into love. We're not talking anguish and heartache here. This one’s purely for fun, and you can find an excerpt here.

What’s next for Kelly Hunter?

Another Modern Heat story, set for release in July 09 in the U.K. This one’s set in a chateau in Champagne in France. It’s called MAVERICK MILLIONAIRE, HOUSEKEEPER'S DAUGHTER and beneath all the glamour and wealth it’s a simple coming home story.

Can you tell us about your writing journey?

I was first published in 2006 as a launch author for Mills and Boon’s Modern Extra subseries so I’m a relative newcomer to the writing business. I write two books a year and I’ve had the pleasure of seeing the line I write for grow and expand into all the regular Harlequin world markets. At the moment the writing journey gets squeezed in between the day job and the demands of teenage sons, a husband, three dogs, four cows, chooks, a pig called Bella Mary, and a garden I can’t seem to leave alone. You can never have too many roses, I say. Bella Mary agrees.

You write for the Harlequin Modern Heat/Sexy Sensation/Presents Extra line. Can you tell us what differentiates this line? Any hints for aspiring writers targeting this line which seems very open to new authors?

There are excellent guidelines for the line, as well as an editor podcast that points out the similarities and differences between Modern Heat and Modern Romance, over at http://www.eharlequin.com My advice to myself whenever I sit down to write one is that even though these are lightweight feel good stories - easy on the tragedy and darkness - they still need a compelling emotional heart. Find it. Work it.

Can you take us through a day in the life of the fabulous Kelly Hunter?

Oh, that Kelly Hunter. She rises at ten to seven, gets everyone up, waits for teenage boys to ready themselves for school (that’s like watching grass grow), then drops them at school on the way to the day job. She dons lab coat, teaches eager university students about the joys of soil chemistry and physics (these are fantasy eager university students as opposed to the hungover and supremely uninterested ones who have been known to grace my lab) and finishes work at three. She then turns into after school Taxi mum, and arrives home two hours later with children in tow and also more mss words owing to fabulous mobile office (ie a laptop and a car). What’s for dinner? Erm... Teenage son takes pity on his mother and cooks… something. Family time happens. If I’m on deadline I’ll head up to bed around 9pm and write for a couple of hours. Occasionally I need incentive in order for this to happen. Chocolate. The promise of a new book to read after a certain amount of words have been writ. Wine. Sometimes I light a candle - one of those hideously expensive aromatherapy ones that smell divine but that you wouldn’t dare light for any old reason on account of it’s like watching money burn.

Kelly has very kindly offered one lucky commenter a copy of her latest witty, wonderful romance, PLAYBOY BOSS, LIVE-IN MISTRESS. Her question to the Banditas and Buddies is:

I’m always on the hunt for new incentives that’ll get me up those stairs and into the story. What are some of yours?

THE 12 DAYS OF BANDITA CHRISTMAS START TODAY! ONE LUCKY COMMENTER WILL WIN A BANDITS PRIZE EVERY DAY UNTIL CHRISTMAS DAY. THEN ON CHRISTMAS DAY, THERE'S A SUPER HAMPER OF BANDITA GOODIES GOING TO SOMEONE WHO TEARS THEMSELVES AWAY FROM THEIR PRESENTS LONG ENOUGH TO COMMENT ON OUR BLOG! SO GET COMMENTING, PEOPLE, AND MAY THE BEST ROOSTER WIN! HO, HO, HO!!!
Source URL: http://idontwanttobeanythingotherthanme.blogspot.com/search/label/Kelly%20Hunter
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